It was about 7 years ago when I had my first AND ONLY gallbladder attack. I rushed to my doctor (this was before Dr. Fred), and they did a sonogram and he called me up and said "well, you have a gallbladder problem" what do you want to do about it?? I said "Oh, I have a choice?" And he said "sure, you can give up all fat or you can be operated"

Now guess which one I chose???? I lost a lot of weight that year. Well, the day after Thanksgiving (I had a small turkey dinner and a piece of Pumpkin Pie. That's it. (Do you think it was the pumpkin pie that almost killed me??? I'll never know. Well, got sick (you know what happens right?), next day, go to same doctor, he takes one look at me and goes "I'm calling the hospital". They had to wait for Oxford to approve the surgery. Took 3 days. I'm on demerol and won't let anybody touch the gallbladder side of my body. They finally do laparascopy but had to cut me a bit because I had two stones that were so big they fit in a Chinese Soup Container (I took them home with me and showed all my neighbors).

Do you think that's the end of my story??? Hell no.... my gallbladder was stuck to my liver and I began to bleed internally. They had to rush me back into surgery and well let's just say I had 75 staples across my whole stomach.

I don't even know who operated on me. I'm getting senile. But I survived. Best part is that you don't have an appetite when you come home. Boy did I lose weight over this. Couldn't look at food for two weeks.

But when it's over, you feel like a million bucks.

My Aunt Sallie said the first thing she had after her gall bladder surgery was a nice cold beer!!! Never forgot that!!

So hope everything goes okay. Everybody else I know has had the laparascopic thing and went home the same day. My brother in law and my girlfriend's hubby just had it done. Came home the same day.

I believe if I didn't wait the year, I would have had no problems. But the stones kept getting bigger.

All the best,

Melody

It wasn't what you ate but the size of the stones, I'm willing to bet. I'm glad it all turned out OK for you.

Most people go home the same day. I couldn't because I was infected and they had me on antibiotics. I went in later in the afternoon, surgery the next day, about 11:00 and went home the next afternoon. I hate hospitals. It's no place to be to get any rest, that's for sure.

I had mine removed laprascopically at 9:00am and went out to dinner that night, feeling much better.

I did find out a couple of interesting facts about gallbladders. One, if you eat a HUGE Mexican food dinner, and wake up in the middle of the night in screaming upper rt. abdominal pain, which could even radiate around to the back, you may well be having a gallbladder attack, because the fat brings it on... Like you cannot even begin to imagine...

Two, after you have it removed, you still may not be able to tolerate eating a lot of fat, because your GI tract may decide to pass on its contents-like a freight train coming on down the track... This could mean if you love real butter loaded on your baked potato or rolls, there had better be a MacDonald's or a Burger King on your route home, in case you need to make a pit stop, if you get the drift...

My Yorkie is admiring Barbara's cat, although worrying she might become its little midnight snack...
Cathie

one with merely a 'middling' state of PN....the fangs would be showing when it's reellly badd! OR, one having to deal w/marginal neuros?

As for the 'we are not amused' line, well, as you can tell, we aren't always, as we all HURT! At the same time, we sweeten the lemons and make some lemonade - which must account for the weight gain?

Alkymyst...I'll see if I can dig up some stuff on anathesia reactions...I believe it's mostly in relation to MS, but, I'm sure I can find other more obscure but relevant connections. I found the reference to MS worked...mite not if'n a doc really doesn't listen. Key is..to clearly state you [no matter how much pain you're in] WON'T SUCCUMB w/o an INFORMED anathesiologist at the table. I was lucky in my surgery scheduling in that I put it all in the Surgeons' lap and they delivered...You don't always have a choice, especially in emergencies, you know? Don't know about you, but I'm going to start a thread tomorrow about ID bracelets? I mean this is the kind of thing those things are supposed to be for...but how good are they/

When is your surgery? I want to cross my legs and fingers for the duration, and YOU be sure to set up some sort of way to let us know you flew thru it with aces! - j

You have a good senceof humor is it sence anywho in goes the scope and out came everything i would think!!! But no issues and you will feel so much betterGood luck and many blessings Sue

"I had mine removed laprascopically at 9:00am and went out to dinner that night, feeling much better"

That is the most amazing thing I have ever read!!!!

Oh by the way, I wear two Medic Guard bracelets. One says DIABETIC, see wallet card, and the other says 'ALLERGY TO PENICILIN - see wallet card.

I feel like getting another one that says 'DIABETIC NEUROPATHY - DO NOT USE VIBRATING TOOL ON MY FEET!!!! lol

I'm like a girl scout ....BE PREPARED....

mel

Has nothing to worry about. PussFace is too lazy to do more than plop down in front of a bowl. If it requires work she's not interested.

Oh yeah, the fat freight train. That's because the gall bladder secretes what is needed to break the fat down for absorption or whatever is done with it. They told me most people end up with life long diarrhea because of this. Guess it's marginally better than constipation. For me it's never been much of a problem unless I eat a *lot* of fat. Actually my bowels haven't really changed all that much between pre and post surgery. I guess I'm one of the luckier ones. There is this though and it's pretty much standard for all gall bladderless people....when you have to go you *have* to go.

Barbara